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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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9605010299Aestheticismdevotion to or emphasis on beauty or the cultivation of the arts0
9605012915Allegorya story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one (Story represents a meaning vs. Symbolism - object represents a meaning)1
9605020760Alliterationthe occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words "Alice's aunt ate apples and acorns around August."2
9605025576Allusionan expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference "Chocolate was her Achilles' heel."3
9605025577Ambiguitythe quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness "Foreigners are hunting dogs"4
9605029629Anadiplosisthe repetition of a word or words in successive clauses in such a way that the second clause starts with the same word which marks the end of the previous clause "you must make every effort to support your faith with GOODNESS, and GOODNESS with knowledge, and knowledge with SELF-CONTROL, and SELF-CONTROL with endurance, and endurance with GODLINESS, and GODLINESS with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love"5
9605029630Analogya comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification6
9605029631Anapesta metrical foot consisting of two short or unstressed syllables followed by one long or stressed syllable7
9605032957Anaphorathe repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses "EVERY day, EVERY night, in EVERY way, I am getting better and better."8
9605032958Anastrophethe inversion of the usual order of words or clauses "Patience I lack."9
9605032959Antagonista character, or a group of characters, which stands in opposition to the protagonist10
9605036641Antanaclasisa rhetorical device in which a phrase or word is repeatedly used, though the meaning of the word changes in each case Viola: "Save thee, friend, and thy music! Dost thou LIVE by thy tabour?" Clown: "No, sir, I LIVE by the church." Viola: "Art thou a churchman?" Clown: "No such matter, sir: I do LIVE by the church; for I do LIVE at my house, and my house doth stand by the church."11
9605036642Anthimeriaa rhetorical device that uses a word in a new grammatical shape, often as a noun or a verb "Let me not suppose that she dares go about, Emma WOODHOUSE-ING me!"12
9605036850Anti-heroa literary device used by writers for a prominent character in a play or book that has characteristics opposite to that of a conventional hero13
9605040913Antimetabolea literary term or device that involves repeating a phrase in reverse order "You like it; it likes you."14
9605052564Antistrophea rhetorical device that involves the repetition of the same words at the end of consecutive phrases, clauses, sentences, and paragraphs "When I was a child, I spake AS A CHILD, I understood AS A CHILD, I thought AS A CHILD; but when I became a man, I put away childish things..."15
9605052565Antithesisrhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect "Patience is bitter, but it has a sweet fruit."16
9605056451Aphorisma statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner17
9605056452Apostrophewriter or a speaker detaches himself from the reality and addresses an imaginary character in his speech "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky."18
9605059747AppositionWhen we use two noun phrases next to each other in a clause, and they refer to the same person or thing "The living room, the biggest room in the house, looks out on to a beautiful garden."19
9605064614Approximate/Slant Rhymewords in a rhyming pattern that have some kind of sound correspondence but are not perfect rhymes "I never saw a moor; I never saw the sea; Yet I know how the heather looks; And what a billow be."20
9605064615Asidea short comment or speech that a character delivers directly to the audience, or to himself, while other actors on the stage appear not to hear21
9605064616Assonancewhen two or more words, close to one another repeat the same vowel sound, but start with different consonant sounds. "If I blEAt when I spEAk it's because I just got . . . flEE"22
9605068629Asyndetona stylistic device used in literature and poetry to intentionally eliminate conjunctions between the phrases, and in the sentence, yet maintain grammatical accuracy23
9605068630Audiencethe person for whom a writer writes, or composer composes24
9605072629Balancean even distribution of weight25
9605072630Ballada type of poetry or verse which was basically used in dance songs in ancient France26
9605072631Black Humora comic style that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo27
9605075922Blank Versea literary device defined as un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter28
9605075923Blocking AgentA person, circumstance, or mentality that prevents two potential lovers from being together romantically29
9605078939Brachylogya rhetorical term for a concise or condensed form of expression in speech or writing30
9605078940Cacophonythe use of words with sharp, harsh, hissing and unmelodious sounds primarily those of consonants to achieve desired results "I detest war BECAUSE CAUSE of war is always trivial."31
9605080966Caesuraa rhythmical pause in a poetic line or a sentence "I hear lake water lapping || with low sounds by the shore..." "of reeds and stalk-crickets, || fiddling the dank air, lacing his boots with vines, || steering glazed beetles"32
9605080967Carpe Diemenjoy today and the moment, without wasting time, because no one knows what may happen in the future33
9605084132Catalystsomeone or something that speeds up or brings about an event34
9605084133Catastrophea final resolution that appears in a narrative plot or a long poem35
9605084134Catharsisan emotional discharge through which one can achieve a state of moral or spiritual renewal, or achieve a state of liberation from anxiety and stress36
9605087990Characterany person, a figure, an inanimate object, or animal37
9605087991Chiasmustwo or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures in order to produce an artistic effect "Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live."38
9605090977Chorusa large organized group of singers, especially one that performs together with an orchestra or opera company39
9605090978Cinquaina stanza of five lines, which may be rhymed or unrhymed, and has a typical stress pattern40
9605094322Climaxthat particular point in a narrative at which the conflict or tension hits the highest point41
9605098422Comedia D'ell Artean improvised kind of popular comedy in Italian theaters in the 16th-18th centuries, based on stock characters42
9605098423Comedy of Mannersa comedy that satirizes behavior in a particular social group, especially the upper classes43
9605098703Complicationa circumstance that complicates something44
9605103673Conceita figure of speech in which two vastly different objects are likened together with the help of similes or metaphors "Oh stay! three lives in one flea spare Where we almost, yea more than married are. This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage-bed and marriage-temple is"45
9605103674Concrete Poema typeface that creates a visual image of the topic46
9605103744Connotationa meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly "A dove implies peace or gentility."47
9605107547Consonancerepetitive sounds produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase "Shelley sells shells by the seashore."48
9605107548Conventional Symbolwidely recognized signs or sign systems that signify a concept or idea that all members of a group understand based on a common cultural understanding49
9605110918Cosmic Ironythe idea that fate, destiny, or a god controls and toys with human hopes and expectations50
9605110919Coupleta literary device which can be defined as having two successive rhyming lines in a verse and has the same meter to form a complete thought "The time is out of joint, O cursed spite That ever I was born to set it right!"51
9605110920Dactyla metrical foot, or a beat in a line, containing three syllables in which the first one is accented, followed by second and third unaccented syllables52
9605114226DadaismA European artistic and literary movement (1916-1923) that flouted conventional aesthetic and cultural values by producing works marked by nonsense, travesty, and incongruity53
9605114227Dark Romanticsa literary subgenre of Romanticism, reflecting popular fascination with the irrational, the demonic and the grotesque54
9605114228Dead Metaphorfigure of speech which has lost the original imagery of its meaning due to extensive, repetitive, and popular usage55
9605116887Denotationliteral or dictionary meanings of a word in contrast to its connotative or associated meanings "And on a day we meet to walk the line And set the WALL between us once again. We keep the WALL between us as we go. To each the boulders that have fallen to each."56
9605116888Denouementthe resolution of the issue of a complicated plot in fiction57
9605122309Deux Ex Machinathe circumstance where an implausible concept or a divine character is introduced into a storyline, for the purpose of resolving its conflict and procuring an interesting outcome58
9605122310Dialectthe language used by the people of a specific area, class, district, or any other group of people59
9605124493DialogueConversation between two or more characters60
9605124494Dictionstyle of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer61
9605124495DimeterA metrical line containing two feet62
9605127203Donneethe set of assumptions on which a work of fiction or drama proceeds63
9605127204Dramatic Ironywhen the audience knows what is occurring in the story but the characters do not64
9605130538Dramatic MonologueWhen a single speaker in literature says something to a silent audience.65
9605130539Dynamic CharacterA character who grows, learns, or changes as a result of the story's action66
9605133431Edwardianof or relating to or characteristic of the era of Edward VII in England (1901-1914)67
9605133432ElegyA sad or mournful poem68
9605135837Elizabethan AgeThe period of the rule of Queen Elizabeth I in England, from 1558 to 1603.69
9605135838Ellipsisliterary device that is used in narratives to omit some parts of a sentence or event, which gives the reader a chance to fill the gaps while acting or reading it out70
9605135839End RhymeRhyme that occurs at the end of two or more lines of poetry71
9605140465End-Stopped Linea pause comes at the end of a syntactic unit (sentence, clause, or phrase), opposite of enjambment72
9605147595English/Shakespearian/Elizabethan Sonnetabab-cdcd-efef-gg rhyme scheme73
9605147596Enjambmentmoving over from one line to another without a terminating punctuation mark, opposite of end-stopped line "Autumn showing off colors slowly Letting the splendid colors Flow softly to earth below."74
9605147650EnvoyA representative or messenger75
9605151909Epanalepsisrepetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning of the clause76
9605151910EpicA long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds77
9605151911EpigramA brief witty poem, often satirical78
9605155901Episodiain ancient Greek theater, dialogues, often heated, that dramatized the play's conflicts79
9605155902Epistrophethe repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences80
9605155903EpitaphA piece of writing in praise of a deceased person81
9605160852Epithetdescribes a place, a thing or a person in such a way that it helps in making the characteristics of a person, thing or place more prominent than they actually are "Sailing across the wine-dark sea to men Whose style of speech is very different..."82
9605160853Euphonythe use of words and phrases that are distinguished as having a wide range of noteworthy melody or loveliness in the sounds they create "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky." In this case, the euphony comes from consonants such as l, r, w, n, and h, but also from the mellifluous rhyme scheme of AABB and the regular trochaic rhythm.83
9605160854Exact Rhymerhyming two words in which both the consonant sounds and vowel sounds match to create a rhyme "pain,pane"84
9605164134ExistentialismA philosophical approach that emphasizes the inevitable dilemmas and challenges of human existence.85
9605164135ExodusA large-scale departure or flight86
9605164136ExpositionBackground information presented in a literary work.87
9605166931Expressionisticdevoted to representing subjective emotions and experiences instead of objective or external reality88
9605166932Extended Metaphora comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph, or lines in a poem "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts."89
9605171827External ConflictA struggle between a character and an outside force90
9605171828Eye Rhymecomprises of similar spellings, though not pronunciation, such as in "rough" and "through."91
9605171829Farcea comedy characterized by broad satire and improbable situations92
9605176661Feminine Rhymea rhyme between stressed syllables followed by one or more unstressed syllables93
9605176662Feminist Criticismis literary criticism informed by feminist theory, or by the politics of feminism more broadly.94
9605180839Figurative Languagewriting or speech not meant to be interpreted literally95
9605180840First Person POVTold from the viewpoint of one of the characters using the pronouns "I" and We"96
9605184326Fixed FormA poem that may be categorized by the pattern of its lines, meter, rhythm, or stanzas.97
9605184327Flashbacka scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story.98
9605187637Flat CharacterA character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story99
9605187638FoilA character who acts as a contrast to another character100
9605187639FootA metrical unit composed of stressed and unstressed syllables.101
9605190655ForeshadowingA narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.102
9605190656Free VersePoetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme103
9605193990Freytag PyramidA convenient diagram that describes the typical pattern of a dramatic or fictional work104
9605193991Geographic SettingPlace the story was set in105
9605197452Gothic LiteratureA genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romantic literature106
9605197453Haiku3 unrhymed lines (5, 7, 5) usually focusing on nature107
9605200514Hamartiaa fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine108
9605200515Harlem RenaissanceA period in the 1920s when African-American achievements in art and music and literature flourished109
9605200516HeptameterA line of poetry that has seven metrical feet.110
9605204805Heroic Coupletstwo rhyming lines of iambic pentameter111
9605204806HexameterA metrical line containing six feet112
9605207329High Comedycharacterized by grace, elegance and wit; intellectual comedy113
9605207330Historical CriticismDetermines historical context of biblical text114
9605212598Historical SettingThe historical events that happened when the story was set or the social context of the story115
9605212599HubrisExcessive pride or self-confidence116
9605212600Hyperbolea figure of speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis "I am trying to solve a million issues these days."117
9605217795IambAn unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable118
9605217796IdiomA common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally. "Break a leg"119
9605217829Imageryrepresent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses "The fresh and juicy orange is very cold and sweet."120
9605223571In Media Resin or into the middle of a sequence of events as in a literary narrative121
9605223572Internal Conflicta poetic device that can be defined as metrical lines in which its middle words and its end words rhyme with one another "Once upon a midnight DREARY, while I pondered, weak and WEARY,"122
9605226233Internal Rhymea rhyme between words in the same line123
9605226234Ironywords are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words The name of Britain's biggest dog was "Tiny."124
9605226235Isocolona succession of sentences, phrases, and clauses of grammatically equal length "What the hammer? what the chain? In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? what dread grasp Dare its deadly terrors clasp?"125
9605229868Italian/Petrarchian Sonnetabba-abba-cdc-dcd, remaining six lines are called a sestet, and might have a range of rhyme schemes126
9605229869JargonVocabulary distinctive to a particular group of people127
9605233657Juxtapositionplacing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast128
9605233658LimerickA five line poem in which lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme and lines 3 and 4 rhyme.129
9605237402Limited POVWhen narration is restricted to relating the thoughts, feelings and knowledge about characters130
9605240410Literary SymbolAn object with symbolic meaning limited to the context of a story or poem.131
9605240411Litotesan understatement by using double negatives "The ice cream was not too bad."132
9605240412Low Comedycrude, boisterous comedy; slapstick and crude jokes; physical comedy133
9605243505Lyric PoemA type of poem characterized by brevity, compression, and the expression of feeling.134
9605243506Magical RealismA genre developed in Latin America which juxtaposes the everyday with the marvelous or magical.135
9605246800Marxist CriticismConcerns itself with class structure, class struggle, and social justice; openly political136
9605246801Masculine RhymeA rhyme ending on the final stressed syllable137
9605250749MelodramaA literary form in which events are exaggerated in order to create an extreme emotional response.138
9605250750Metaphorcomparison without like or as139
9605250751MeterA regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry140
9605250789Metonymyreplaces the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is closely associated Let me give you a hand. (Hand means help.)141
9605256113Medieval Literatureall written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages142
9605256114Medieval RomancesAdventure stories with kings, knights, and damsels in distress143
9605259663Mixed Metaphora combination of two or more metaphors that together produce a ridiculous effect144
9605259664Modernismpractices typical of contemporary life or thought145
9605259665MonologueA long speech made by one performer or by one person in a group.146
9605262070MonometerA metrical line containing one foot147
9605262071MoodFeeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader148
9605262072Motivationthe reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.149
9605262284NarratorThe person telling the story150
9605266234Naturalismthe depiction of human figures as they appear in nature151
9605266235Neo-Classical Literature1660 and 1798 broken down into three parts: the Restoration period, the Augustan period, and the Age of Johnson152
9605266287Nonometer9 feet per line153
9605269809Objective POVstatements that reflect only what is seen, heard, and observed; can NOT be argued against154
9605269810OctameterA line of verse with eight feet155
9605269811Octavea verse form that contains eight lines, which usually appear in an iambic pentameter156
9605270105OdeA lyric poem usually marked by serious, respectful, and exalted feelings toward the subject.157
9605274498Omniscient POVWhen the speaker knows everything including the actions, motives, and thoughts of all the characters158
9605277338Onomatopoeiaa word which imitates the natural sounds of a thing159
9605277339Oxymorontwo opposite ideas are joined to create an effect "Open secret" "tragic comedy"160
9605277340Paradoxa statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth161
9605281891Parallelismthe use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same162
9605281892Parenthesisa qualifying or explanatory sentence, clause, or word that writers insert into a paragraph or passage163
9605281893ParodyA work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner164
9605285829ParonomasiaUse of words alike in sound but different in meaning165
9605285830Pathetic Fallacyattributes human qualities and emotions to inanimate objects of NATURE166
9605289031PathosAppeal to emotion167
9605289032Pentametera line of verse consisting of five metrical feet168
9605293132Periphrasisthe use of excessive and longer words to convey a meaning which could have been conveyed with a shorter expression, or in a few words169
9605293133PersonaAn individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.170
9605293190Personificationgiving human characteristics to an object171
9605297913Phonetic IntensivesA word whose sound to some degree suggests its meaning172
9605297914Physical Settinglocation in which the story takes place173
9605297915PlotSequence of events in a story174
9605303106Point of ViewThe perspective from which a story is told175
9605303107Polyptotona rhetorical repetition of the same root word176
9605306847Polysyndentonseveral coordinating conjunctions are used in succession in order to achieve an artistic effect It makes use of coordinating conjunctions like and, or, but, and nor (mostly and and or)177
9605306848Post Modernistsa late-20th-century style and concept in the arts, architecture, and criticism that represents a departure from modernism178
9605311414Pre-Raphaelitisma group of English artists who aimed to revive the style and spirit of the Italian artists before the time of Raphael179
9605311415PrologueIntroductory remarks in a speech, play or literary work, introductory action180
9639396712Prosodythe patterns of rhythm and sound used in poetry181
9605314952Protagonistthe main character in a literary work182
9605314953PurgationThe process of getting rid of impurities183
9605314954Quatraina stanza of four lines, especially one having alternate rhymes184
9605318695Raisonneurcharacter in a play or other work who expresses the author's message, point of view, or philosophy185
9605318696Realismthe attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth186
9605321270Recognitionthe startling discovery that produces a change from ignorance to knowledge187
9605321271Renaissance LiteratureThe cultural rebirth that occurred in Europe from roughly the fourteenth through the middle of the seventeenth centuries188
9605323034RepetitionRepeated use of sounds, words, or ideas for effect and emphasis189
9639283861VillanelleA 19 line form using only two rhymes and repeating two of the lines according to a set pattern190
9639353741ResolutionEnd of the story where loose ends are tied up191
9639283862Voltathe turn of thought or argument192
9639351440ReversalThe point at which the action of the plot turns in an unexpected direction for the protagonist.193
9639351441RhetoricThe art of using language effectively and persuasively194
9639286152Verisimilitudethe appearance of being true or real195
9639348629Rhetorical QuestionA question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer196
9639348630Rhyme SchemeA regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem197
9639286153Victorian Period1837-1901198
9639288646Universal SymbolA symbol that is common to all mankind.199
9639344893RhythmPattern of stressed and unstressed syllables200
9639288647Verbal IronyA figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant201
9639342325Romantic Comedytype of drama in which there are typically no deaths and multiple marriages.202
9639342326Romanticism19th century artistic movement that appealed to emotion rather than reason203
9639342327Round CharacterA character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work204
9639291222TrimeterA metrical line containing three feet205
9639291223TrocheeA stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable206
9639339004Sarcasmharsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule (destructive)207
9639339005SatireA literary style used to make fun of or ridicule an idea or human vice or weakness (constructive)208
9639339006Satiric Comedyhumor to ridicule foolish ideas or customs with the purpose of improving society.209
9639295428Third Person POVthe narrator is outside the story or there is no narrator (use of "he, she, or they")210
9639295430Transcendatalisman idealistic philosophical and social movement that developed in New England around 1836 in reaction to rationalism211
9639335417ScansionAnalysis of verse into metrical patterns212
9639335418SeptetSeven line stanza213
9639298228Themea main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work, which may be stated directly or indirectly214
9639301212Tetrametera verse of four measures215
9639332335Sestetsix lines, and also refers to a poem of six lines, or a six-lined stanza in a poem216
9639332336Sestinaa poem that contains six stanzas, each stanza having six lines, while a concluding seventh stanza has three lines217
9639301213Theater in the Rounda form of theatrical presentation in which the audience is seated in a circle around the stage or on at least three of its sides218
9639329447Settingan environment or surrounding in which an event or story takes place219
9639329448Similefigure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things using like or as220
9639303906Terceta three-lined verse, or a group, or unit of three lines221
9639303907Terza Rimaa tercet that follows iambic pentameter with rhyme scheme of ABA BCB CDC222
9639306168Synecdochea literary device in which a part of something represents the whole, or it may use a whole to represent a part The word "sails" refers to a whole ship.223
9639327016Situational Ironyirony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended224
9639327017Slapstickcomedy based on deliberately clumsy actions and humorously embarrassing events225
9639306169Syntaxa set of rules in a language226
9639308367Syllepsisa figure of speech in which a word is applied to two others in different senses "caught the train and a bad cold"227
9639325083Soliloquya popular literary device often used in drama to reveal the innermost thoughts of a character228
9639295429Tonean attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience229
9639325084Speakerthe voice that speaks behind the scene230
9639308368Symbolan object representing another231
9639312524Submerged/Implied Metaphora type of metaphor that compares two unlike things, but it does so without mentioning one of them232
9639291224Tropesspeakers or writers intend to express meanings of words differently than their literal meanings233
9639322823Spondeea foot consisting of two stressed syllables234
9639322824Stanzaa couple of lines235
9639322825Stasimona stationary song, composed of strophes and antistrophes and performed by the chorus in the orchestra236
9639312525Surrealisma 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images237
9639315099Strophea structural division of a poem containing stanzas of varying line-length, especially an ode or free verse poem238
9639318195Stock Charactera stereotypical fictional character in a work of art such as a novel, play, or film, whom audiences recognize from frequent recurrences in a particular literary tradition239
9639318196Stream-of-Consciousnessa person's thoughts and conscious reactions to events, perceived as a continuous flow240
9639283863Zeugmaa figure of speech in which a word, usually a verb or an adjective, applies to more than one noun, blending together grammatically and logically different ideas. "John lost his coat and his temper"241

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